Defending state champion Southwest is back in the girls’ soccer playoffs.

The Stallions clinched the Coastal Plains 1-A Conference title and the league’s only automatic postseason berth with an 8-1 win at Lejeune on Wednesday night.

Southwest (7-8-2, 5-0) will open the NCHSAA playoffs either on Tuesday or Wednesday, but not before the Stallions visit CPC rival Dixon on Friday in the regular-season finale.

The Stallions have advanced to the state final for three consecutive years, winning it all in 2010 and 2012.

“With a sub .500 record, we needed to get that conference championship to guarantee us a spot in the playoffs,” Southwest coach John Sweeney said. “I think we are a better team that our record indicates and I feel like we are looking good at the right time.

“Maybe we are hitting our stride at the right time of the year.”

Alex Crow led the Stallions with three goals while Hannah Campbell added two assists.

The game was tied 1-1 when Lejeune’s Emily Collins scored on a penalty kick. Kimberly Carroll gave Southwest a 2-1 lead with seven minutes left in the first half before Courtney Whaley scored with 45 seconds left in the half to make it 3-1.

“Lejeune did a great job. It was a very close and competitive match for 33 minutes,” Sweeney said. “Once we started finishing, we got into a nice rhythm.”

n Dixon 2, East Carteret 1: Dixon’s Carly Rochelle scored on a penalty kick with about 1:30 left in the match to give the Bulldogs a Coastal Plains 1-A Conference win over East Carteret.

Despite the win, however, Dixon will have to settle for second place in the CPC, given Southwest’s win at Lejeune on Wednesday gave the Stallions the league title.

But that doesn’t matter to the Bulldogs. They want to defeat Southwest on Friday and enhance their chances for the state playoffs. Dixon lost 1-0 at Southwest earlier this season.

“Our conference only has one team that’s guaranteed in the playoffs, but we feel like we are in until they (NCHSAA) tell us we are not in,” Dixon coach Josh King said. “Every game is important. We are on a five-game winning streak and we got positive momentum.”

Page 2 of 3 - The Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead over ECHS, thanks to a goal by Katelynn Jones, who was assisted by Allyna Ankney. The Mariners tied the game when Lindsey Thayer scored with about eight minutes left in the first half.

n White Oak 9, West Craven 0: Ericca Lenhardt and Della Futral each recorded a hat trick to lead White Oak to a win at West Craven in a Coastal 3-A Conference match called after the first half because of the 9-goal mercy rule.

Mary Gorry, Kodie Drake and Rachel Krueger each added a goal and an assist for the Vikings, who visit rival Jacksonville tonight in a match that will decide the conference champion.

The defending state 3-A champion Vikings are one game behind the Cardinals (15-3-2, 12-1), but defeated Jacksonville 1-0 earlier this season. If WOHS wins, both teams will be considered co-champions with the Vikings take the top seed for the playoffs.

“To be honest, I think it could go either way,” WOHS coach Buddy Carroll said. “It just depends on who shows up. We are excited, but it’s not the big picture. It’s just another game in a rivalry.”

Carroll has no concern that his team will play a game for the second consecutive day.

“Tonight was just kind of a warm-up to prepare,” he said. “I’m just glad we came out with no injuries.”